Realization of Love
by WiccaChick98
Summary: This is the story when Derek is left in the attic in the Reckoning. Please read, then review!
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, this is the story of when Derek was up in the attic in the Reckoning- you know, whe he was seperated from the group? Sorry if it's OOC.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Darkest Powers. Kelley Armstrong does.**

**AN: This is full of flashbacks- parts from the Reckoning in Derek's POV.**

_Derek's thoughts, or Liz's writing when they're in the car._

_Derek's inner-wolf's thoughts._

**_Both Derek's and his inner-wolf's thoughts at the same time, in unison._**

**Realization of Love**

I'm worth it. She thinks I'm worth it.

The words raced through my head over and over again. Chloe, the most amazing girl to ever set foot in my life, thinks I'm worth it. I've never felt like this about anyone before in my life. Not even Simon or Dad. I guess it's different, because Chloe's a girl. _My_ girl. At least, I hoped she was.

No matter what I thought, though, doubt still found its way to my head. As much as I tried to shake it off, it stayed there. Questions buzzed.

_Did Chloe really mean it? Or was she just trying to make me feel better? Then why did she kiss me? Was I really worth it to her? Or am I just some hypocritical asshole who's taken advantage of her presence multiple times?_

_Then why did she kiss me?_

Damn it. Was everyone's first kiss so stressful?

Well, whatever. It didn't matter. Simon's safe. Unhappy, but safe. Chloe's safe. Tori's okay, I guess. Tori's safety wasn't that important to me. I mean, sure, without her, I guess we wouldn't know Dad was alive. But still, I didn't feel that responsible for her. At least, not as responsible as I did for Chloe.

Chloe...

It's all my fault we're in this mess. If I hadn't asked her to come along with me for my Change, this never would've happened.

I wouldn't have killed Liam. He would've taken me to the Pack, or he would've killed me.

I wouldn't be a problem for the Edison Group anymore. I wouldn't be trouble for whatever the hell Russell was doing.

Everyone would be safer than they are now.

I'm the whole damn reason the Edison Group is so intent on getting everyone I care about. If I hadn't been so stubborn, if I hadn't decided to stay here with everyone in my pack, none of this would've happened. Maybe some of it would, but not all of it.

I should have left when I had the chance. I would've, too, if Chloe hadn't told me that everyone would be better, and happier, if I stayed. Namely Simon. I had just completed my first full Change, killed a werewolf, and found out that Russell would've killed Chloe just so Andrew wouldn't find out about his intentions to kill _me_, so it didn't matter what everyone wanted, it mattered what they needed. I looked up to tell Chloe this, but she was giving me a weird look full of affection, sadness, and maybe hope. She tried to cover it up, but she wasn't quick enough. She blushed, and I realized how much I had been hiding from her, and how much I had been hiding from me. _She means so much to me_, I thought, _But I don't deserve her. I was a bitch who treated her like a blond. Yet she helped me out so much, through everything I've been through. My Changes, some of my temper problems, and now, I think she has a crush on __**me**__, the one everyone thinks of as a monster. She's the only one outside of my family who doesn't see me as the Big, Bad Wolf. So, no, I don't deserve her. Not at all. __But maybe I can change that._

It showed on my face, I'm sure of it, because Chloe's cheeks reddened even more. She opened her mouth to say something, but I beat her to it.

"I'm not going anywhere, Chloe." I was surprised by how much I meant it.

I still was surprised, sitting up in the attic, when I heard a _thump_, like a body falling to the floor.

I perked up really quick, straining to hear someone get up, but I heard nothing.

My first thought was, _Chloe!_ But then I remembered how small Chloe was, so she wouldn't make that much of a sound. Unless someone had pushed her really hard, onto a hardwood floor. And then maybe, before she could get up, they picked her up. Or they stabbed her with a knife. She could be...

I stopped myself in the middle of the thought, but it didn't stop the panic from welling up inside of me.

Panic and pain. When I thought of Chloe dying, the world seemed to spin. It felt like someone had grabbed the ground and ripped it out from right under me. For once, I felt like actually crying. I swayed, trying not to fall over. Chloe... That was all I could think about. Was she okay? Was she the one who fell over?

God, why had I never told her how I felt about her? Why couldn't I just man up and tell her that she's the only girl I've ever felt so strongly about? Why couldn't I just admit all of my feelings? Why couldn't I explain why I always give her shit when she almost gets killed, instead of saying, 'Thank God you're okay'? Why couldn't I tell her that it's always me I'm pissed at, because I feel like I should have done a better job to protect her?

Why can't I just tell her I love her?

I tried last night, when we were up on the roof. I had told Chloe to stay out there with me, that I wanted to talk to her, but she wanted me to go inside; we could talk there. I wanted to argue that we couldn't, because Simon would be inside. I was going to, but I wasn't fast enough. She was already in the house.

Love sucks. It can be amazing, but it really sucks. I thought that over and over and over up on the roof. I heard the door open, then shut. I turned, half expecting it to be Chloe. It was Simon. He walked over to me, his face dark and serious.

"You okay, bro?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure? You seem kind of... I don't know, out of it."

I met his gaze. "I'm fine, Simon. You're not going to get me to come inside, if that's what you're here for. Chloe already tried."

"I know. If Chloe can't convince you, no one can."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, feeling scared all of a sudden. Simon couldn't know I liked Chloe. It would hurt him too much, considering he kind of loves Chloe. I was willing to give her up so Simon would be happy. When I found Simon after their date, he was heartbroken, and he wouldn't talk to me.

Simon looked up at me, his expression deathly serious now. "Don't worry, Derek. I know."

"Know what?" Crappy acting skills, don't fail me now.

"I know you like Chloe."

"Well, yeah, I like her. She's a good friend."

Simon glared at me. "Derek, you know that's not what I mean. I mean you _like_ Chloe, as in, you have the same feelings for her as I do."

I sputtered an unconvincing laugh. "Sure, Simon. If you think I like Chloe-"

He cut me off. "I don't _think_. I _know_." His eyes glittered with anger. "And you'd have to be blind not to see Chloe's in love with you, too."

I tried to laugh again, but it came out way too shaky.

Simon's gaze softened a bit. "I know it's pretty hard to admit your feelings, but as long as you deny it, you're hurting yourself." When he saw my expression, he added, "And you're hurting Chloe. She loves you, Derek. I'm pretty sure of it. If you don't tell her how you feel, that's as good as lying." Simon turned to leave.

"Wait," I said, because I knew in my gut he was right. "Y-You're right. I-I do like Chloe." It came out shaky, probably because I was weak with relief to get it off my chest.

Simon looked at me, and smiled. "I had a feeling you'd admit it sooner or later."

"Don't tell anyone. Please." I sounded like a teenage girl who had just admitted she still slept with a teddy bear, but I didn't care. Chloe couldn't find out. It might make her want to start some kind of romantic relationship. Don't get me wrong, I wanted that, but we were on the run for our lives, so it wouldn't be too good of an idea. Or worse, it might completely disgust her and make her run screaming into the night. I shuddered at the thought.

"Why would I tell? That's your job, bro," Simon said with a laugh, then looked at me, face serious again. "Why didn't you tell me? When did you even start to like Chloe?"

"I didn't want you to give anything up for me, especially since you really like Chloe. So I gave her up for you."

"Well that's just stupid. You should've said something."

"I couldn't."

"Yes, you could've. When did you see Chloe as- well, more than a blond who sees ghosts?"

I had to think about that one. "Do you want when I actually started to realize I liked her, or when I accepted it?"

"Both."

"I guess I realized I liked her when she first found out how I used her to get you to go along with the escape from Lyle House. I thought she was going to back down. Only she didn't. She agreed to go along with my plan. I felt the connection, but pushed it back. I decided I was just relieved to not have my plan ruined, so I felt obligated to be nicer to her.

"I finally accepted my feelings when we first got on the bus to go to Andrew's. When you and Chloe sat up front, I was pissed. I thought it was because I couldn't protect you guys very well. But when I thought about it, it was that and that I realized you really, _really_ liked Chloe, so I couldn't have her. I decided I really _did_ like her, but it didn't matter." I was also pissed because I had felt ignored, but I left that part out. "I hadn't realized how very much she meant to me until I attempted my second Change. Afterwards, I asked her how she was doing, and she said she didn't really do anything. I told her she did a lot, she looked into my eyes and..." I paused, remembering the moment. "I felt... something. It was like that first connection, but stronger. A lot stronger. Now, whenever she smiles, all the words I wanna say die in my throat. When I look into her eyes, my heart beats a million times faster, and all I can think about is how much she means to me, and how lucky I am to have her in my life- even just as a friend."

When I finished, Simon stayed quiet for a long time. When he finally spoke, his voice was soft. "I had no idea she meant that much to you. I mean, I knew you loved her, but I had no idea..." He trailed off, then came back, his voice stronger now. "I have a confession to make." Simon looked up. "I love Chloe, but not the way you do. Nowhere near as much. I'm not sure how I feel about you two as an item, but..." He sighed. "If you two _do_ hook up, take good care of her, bro."

He got up and left.

I stayed on the roof for awhile, thinking about what Simon had said about Chloe being in love with me. Was it true? Did she really care that much about me?

_No. _I told _myself. She can't be. She loves Simon, not his moody, bad-tempered, __werewolf brother_.

By the time I got cold from the wind, I had convinced myself that Chloe just liked me as a friend, nothing else.

I went inside.

I found Simon downstairs with Tori. They were both looking at a piece of paper. I looked for Chloe. She wasn't around.

I walked up to the two of them. "Where's Chloe?" I asked.

Tori looked up. "Apparently, she had a sudden burst of courage, and is looking for guards in the forest."

"What?"

Simon handed me the paper. I read it. It said:

_I went out to find out if there are really any guards. I know you probably think I've lost it, but we either needed someone with super senses, or someone without all of that. Don't worry, I won't raise the dead, and I'll be careful._

_Chloe_

I stared at the note. "We need to find her." I said, turning to Simon and Tori.

They both nodded, and we set off. As we walked, I kept checking the wind and cursing Chloe for being so stupid. I mean, I love her, but she can _really_ be so dumb sometimes. There was no way there were guards in the forest. I'd have scented them by now.

I finally caught her scent. I followed it, the two others falling behind. It didn't matter. I knew where they were. I'd go find them as soon as I found Chloe. Soon enough, I saw her. She was standing with her back to me. Chloe turned around and saw my figure looming over her. I guess it scared her, because she yelped. I rushed forward to shut her up and said "It's me."

Chloe looked relieved. "Der-"

Something hit me. Hard. It made me swagger a bit. Chloe started to say something, but whatever hit me did it again, this time so hard I fell over onto my stomach with an "oomph" and a curse.

It turned out it was Liz. Stupid bitch. Didn't she recognize me? I knew my skin had cleared up, and my hair wasn't greasy anymore, but still.

After the introduction between Liz, Simon, and Tori, I tried to make Chloe see sense. I tired to tell her that what she did was stupid and reckless. It didn't work that well. It turned out that there really _were _guards out there, and we needed to get inside before they heard us arguing.

Once we were in the house, I tried to snap at Chloe. To get some sense actually inside her head. But, again, she wouldn't listen. According to her, we needed to make plans. She didn't want to listen to me. The question was: Why?

Because I wouldn't listen to _her_. Because I really outdid myself in pissing her off this time. Because I'm a jerk. I'm just a horrible person.

I felt bad about making her angry. I felt bad enough that I looked through the basement and found an old camera. Chloe wanted to be a screenwriter. It would be the perfect apology gift. It might get her to stay long enough to give me time to explain why I was so mean to her. And I could tell her why I always gave her shit every time she did something dangerous. I could tell her how I really felt about her. I didn't want to hurt Simon, but I needed to tell her.

I found her in the parlor, sitting in the armchair sketching something, her face streaked with dirt and her hair full of leaves and twigs. It didn't matter. She was still beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, I found it hard to breathe, and certain _parts_ of me perked up.

Without looking up, she said, "Hmmm?"

"I got something for you." I said, holding up the camera. _Please take it_, I thought. _Just take it. Let's start over. _"It doesn't work, but I think I can fix it."

Chloe took the camera and put it on the table.

_Crap! It didn't work! Time for Plan B._

"It's cold in here. Is the radiator working?" I asked, putting my hands on the radiator. "Not very well. I'll get a blanket."

"Really, I-"

I was already out of the room. When I returned, she took the blanket and put it in her lap. I looked around and settled for sitting on the sofa.

_Now I wait. I wait until she warms up to me._

After a while, I said, "Why don't you come over here? It's closer to the radiator."

"I'm good."

_Shit! She's playing Hard To Get._

"Hard to talk to you from over there." I scooted over some, making plenty of room for her. If she went along with it, I'd put my arm around her and hold her. I'd apologize for being such a bitch, and tell her I loved her.

Instead of coming over, though, she said, "You don't get to do this."

"Do what?" Even though I knew what she meant, that she was tired of me snapping at her, then bouncing back, I couldn't help it. I realized it was useless, and looked down. "I'm sorry. That's what I'm trying to say. That I'm sorry."

"For what?"

Confusion seeped through as I said, "For making you mad."

Chloe got up to leave. My instincts hollered at me to stop her, that she's getting away, that I'll never have this chance again. I shot up and was behind her, gently grabbing her arm, in about two seconds. She didn't turn around, but stopped to listen.

"Back in the woods, when I yelled at you for going out, I wasn't really mad."

"You were just worried about me."

I relaxed, glad she understood. Maybe she feels the same way? "Yeah."

She turned then. "Because you think I'm worth it."

The moment of truth. It was now or never. I had to admit it. I put my fingers under her chin, gently tilting her face up so I could meet her gaze. "I absolutely think you're worth it."

"But you don't think you are."

I froze. It wasn't true. Not entirely, at least. I thought I was worth it, just I wasn't worth as much as Simon and Chloe were. I opened my mouth to tell her that, but thought better of it, and quickly shut it.

"That's the problem, Derek. You go out and risk your life because you don't think you're worth it. But I do. I absolutely do."

I was shocked. She thought I was worth it? But I thought she was mad-

Before I could finish the thought, Chloe surprised me once again. She put her arms around my neck, stood on point, lowered my head towards hers, and...

She kissed me.

When our lips met, I felt the connection again, but it was really, extremely strong. The kiss was tender, but firm. I kissed her back, my arms wrapping around her waist. I just started pulling her closer when I heard Simon in the hall.

"And he says _I_ have bad timing," I grumbled, and called out, "What's up?"

In the end, I guess I did tell her, but it still felt like she had no idea.

At last, I fell into a troubled sleep. How, I have no idea. The attic was filthy. I still slept, though, and dreamed of everyone downstairs, my mind lingering on Chloe. My dream took me back to that kiss. I remembered how amazing it was. In my dream, Simon didn't interrupt, though. Chloe's aunt, Dr. Fellows, had.

Only, I didn't sense her coming. She walked right into the room, and screamed. We jumped apart so fast Chloe almost fell over. I quickly caught my semi-girlfriend and kept my arm around her until she caught her balance. I kept my eyes on Dr. Fellows. She had gotten over her shock and was glaring at me.

"I thought we told you to stay away from my niece, Mr. Souza," she snapped. "You need to control all of your little wolf instincts and keep your grubby little paws off of Chloe." her gaze softened as she looked at Chloe. "Come on, hon. Your Dad's here. Let's get away from this nut-house. And away from this," she glared at me again. "monster."

She motioned for Chloe to follow and turned to leave. I looked beside me, where the love-of-my-life was standing. She looked up at me and took my arm. The determination in her eyes said she was staying here, with me. I tried not to smile.

Dr. Fellows looked over her shoulder, expecting Chloe to be right behind her. When she saw that Chloe was really with me, her eyes widened, then formed slits.

This was ridiculous. Can't the woman see I love Chloe, and that I'd never do anything to hurt her? The only person who was actually scary here was Dr. Fellows. She was the bitch who was trying to take Chloe. I realized that was why I was so terrified of her; she might take Chloe away from me.

Dr. Fellows walked over to us. From the way she walked, it was like she thought as soon as she left, I would hurt or kill Chloe, which was stupid. I'd _never_ do that. Chloe inched closer to me, trying to say, "I'm scared." without giving it all away. I tried to move her behind me, but she got in front of me instead. Like _that_ would protect her.

I don't know what happened, but somehow, my wolf instincts saw Lauren Fellows as a threat. The closer she got, the more nervous I got, and the more prepared to fight I became. By the time she was in front of us, both my arms were around Chloe, and I was bristling. Dr. Fellows glared and reached for her niece, but I growled and tensed.

She pulled back, and I stopped. She reached forward, and I tensed and growled again.

She did this for a while, teasing me. I don't know why, but I couldn't help but tense and growl every time Dr. Fellows got close to Chloe. This all reminded me of the time Chloe and I had our first run-in with Liam and Ramon. They had teased me, and I was stupid to react like I did, but I couldn't help it.

"Check this out. I think the pup's got himself a mate. Isn't that the cutest thing?" The voice wasn't right. It wasn't Dr. Fellows talking. It was, her mouth was moving, but it wasn't her voice. It was Liam's. She reached out to grab Chloe, but I was faster. I quickly moved her behind me. I had to keep Chloe safe. Just keep her safe...

Dr. Fellows hit me so hard, it knocked me over onto my back. It seemed to knock me out, but I could still hear everything that was going on.

Chloe screamed, completely freaking out. She dropped down beside me and started shaking my shoulder, saying my name over and over again. My eyes opened, and she looked relieved. I sat up, and Dr. Fellows hit me again, this time on the back. I fell onto my stomach and blacked out. All I remembered was Chloe shaking my shoulder again.

I woke to someone shaking- no, poking my shoulder with a stick, or something. All I could manage was a mumbled "Is it time to go?"

I sat up, and realized I had been sleeping on my stomach. I looked around, and saw something that made me jump up. A piece of wood was floating in midair. Then I remembered.

"Liz?"

A pause, then writing in the dust.

_It's Chloe_

That terrified me. I was about to- I don't know, cry, maybe? No, it was more likely that I would go into a fit of rage, seeking vengeance on those who dare kill her- when she finished her message. Now it said:  
><em>It's Chloe. She and the others are gone!<em>

"What? She and the others are gone? They left without me?" I felt a pang of anger, confusion, and a bit of a heartache. They'd left without me? Why?

The new writing in the dust caught my attention.

_They took them._

"Who? Margret and the others?"

_An old lady and her older friend._

"Damn. Do you know where they took Chloe and the others?"

_They said something about the Edison Group._

"We have to find them!" I said, and walked towards the door.

As soon as we reached the room just beyond the attic, I caught a scent. It was Chloe's. She had been here, maybe she was about to come get me when she was taken. I poked around a bit, hoping maybe Chloe had left some kind of clue. She didn't. It was either that, or that I just couldn't find anything.

On the way downstairs, I was so deep in thought that I didn't notice the body and almost tripped. I looked down, and saw Gwen's dead face staring back at me. I have to admit, it scared me. I quickly jumped back with an oath.

"What happened?" I wondered aloud. _Did Gwen fall and break her neck? Did someone murder her? _Then, a bit more panicky after I saw the bruises on her neck,_ Where the hell are the others?_

I sighed. _There's only one way to find out._ I went downstairs.

When I got to the bottom of the staircase, I smelled something that made my heart skip a beat. Blood. A lot of it. I followed the scent until I found the source. Andrew. His dead face was staring at nothing, his body surrounded by a pool of blood.

I felt a pang of sadness. Even though Andrew was scared of my inner wolf and my appearance, he was kind of like an uncle to me. He and my dad were really close.

I dropped to a crouch and sniffed, trying to find any trace of Chloe or Simon. Hell, if I found Tori's scent I'd be happy; it'd give me a lead to where the others might be. The scent of blood was pretty strong, so it took me awhile to find Chloe's scent. It was there, though. Right on the table. It was like she had tried to dive over it, but fell and was sedated before she could run away. Margaret and Russell had been there, too. They had probably been the ones to sedate her, not Andrew.

_Unless, _I thought,_ He had sedated Chloe and she went into a panic frenzy and lashed out with a conveniently_ _located knife and kept the weapon?_

I growled at myself for thinking that. There was no way Chloe would do that! The only time she used a knife on someone (that I knew about) was when Liam was about to kill me, and she drove the blade into his thigh. _She was so brave._ I smiled at the thought. She was braver, smarter, and tougher then she gave herself credit for.

_Speaking of Chloe, don't you think you should get to the lab and save everyone?_

_Right, right. I needed to do that, but how do I get to the damn place?_

_Um, Andrew __**is**__ right there. He has a car, you know._

_Yeah, but it would feel wrong to steal his keys from him._

_You can ask him. Just go get Chloe and ask her to contact his ghost for you- oh, that's right! Your little necromancer friend is being shipped off to the Edison Group to be terminated, so she isn't available to contact the dead right now. You can send her a message after the __**beep.**_

_Okay, that was just cruel._

_I'm your inner wolf. I can be as cruel as I want. I've got a point, you know._

I looked at Andrew. There were only two options. I could take Andrew's car, drive in, save the day, and win Chloe's eternal love, or I could respect the dead and wait patiently for Dr. Davidoff to kill them all.

I took Andrew's keys and left.

I was almost to the door, when I remembered something important.

"Liz? Are you still here?"

No answer.

I sighed and stepped outside. There, right in front of me, was a floating piece of paper and a pen.

"Good idea, Liz."

We got in the car and set off.

After about ten minutes of silence, Liz wrote something down. It said:

_What's up?_

"This isn't exactly the time to chat, Liz."

_I know. You just seem, I dunno, out of it. I thought you were mad at me, __or something._

"No, I'm just worried about everyone. I hope we make it in time to save them."

_Can I ask you a question about wolves?_

"Sure?"

_If a wolf chooses a mate, is it true that if something happens to them, the wolf can't move on?_

"Yeah. When a wolf chooses a mate, that's their mate for life. If either of them die, the other one can't choose another mate. Why do you ask?"

_Just wondering. You just seem really attached to someone I know._

"Who?" I already had an idea of who Liz was talking about, but I had to be sure we were on the same page.

_Tori_

I must've had a disgusted look on my face (Thank god!), because Liz wrote:

_I'm just kidding, Derek! You're attached to Chloe._

I sighed. The word was even spreading through the dead. "Yeah."

_You're in love with her, aren't you? She's your mate, right?_

"I don't know if I'd call her my _mate_, but..." I trailed off, and once again, we lapsed into silence.

As I drove, my mind wandered back to my dream. I wondered why I felt so protective of Chloe. I mean, I love her, but... It seemed like there was more to it. More to my feelings for her. More to that urge to wrap my arms around her, to kiss her, to tell her how I felt about her, to hear her say that she felt the same way. This was the way all people felt when they were in love, wasn't it? I always thought so, but now I wasn't so sure.

I thought about how Dr. Fellows- Liam, I guess- had joked about Chloe being my mate.

Maybe he wasn't joking? Maybe Liam was serious? Maybe I was really, really, _really _in love with Chloe. She could be my mate, but she probably wasn't. My feelings for the necromancer were strong, but not _that_ strong.

The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized how I had no idea about how very much I did love Chloe. I realized she _was_ my mate. At least, that's how I felt about her. I didn't know if that was how she felt about _me_, but I could hope.

_I knew you'd figure it out, Derek._

I smiled. _I did figure it out, didn't I?_

_Yup. Now all you have to do is tell her. If you don't, that's as good as lying. _The voice in my head now surprisingly sounded like Simon's.

_Now, as your wolf instinct, I'll tell you exactly what you have to do. We're a team, and we have to get our mate, and keep her with us._

_What exactly do you mean by 'We have to get our mate'?_

_Oh, you know what I mean. After all, she is our **mate**, it's in our nature. All we have to do is get her alone, and-_

_"No_" I didn't mean to say that out loud, but it came out as a complete growl.

My face heated, and I concentrated on driving. It was a lot harder than it looked, considering I didn't have my license.

_You okay? What'd you say no for?_

"Nothing. I'm just worried." I _was_ worried. "What if we don't get there in time? What if they're dead right now?" Suddenly, I felt like I needed to get there as fast as I could. There was only one way.

Breaking the speed limit by at least ten, I stepped on the gas.

I pulled into the woods across from the parking lot, sweat starting to drip down my face. I knew what was coming. I had hoped I wouldn't Change until I had gotten the others out, and we were safe. Now, I thought to myself: _Since when did I Change when it was convenient for me? _I yelped as my back shot up, forming a perfect arch. Muscles convulsed, and I just managed to get my shirt and pants off, so I was just in my boxers. Part of me wanted to stop Changing, because it didn't feel right with Chloe not here. The other part wanted me to just get it over with. I imagined Liz just staring at me, wide-eyed. It made me laugh, but only for a split second, because the Change was really painful.

_**Where's Chloe? Where's my mate? I need her...** _That's what I thought as I Changed. I obviously wasn't thinking clearly, the pain was too much. At least I wasn't puking.

_**Chloe? Where are you? Why aren't you here, with me?** _My mind raced as I blacked out. My last thoughts were about everyone at the laboratory, and how I was sorry that I failed.

_**Forgive me...**_

My eyes opened groggily. I sat up on all fours. I had actually Changed.

_I'm not dead! _I thought happily.

_You may not be dead, but the others might._

I snarled and stood up. Just then, some guy walked by and saw me, a wolf, sitting in the passenger side. His eyes bugged out, and he ran off screaming.

_Oops.._

I looked around, and reached for the door. My paw caught the handle, but I couldn't open it. I growled.

_How the hell am I supposed to get out of the damn car?_

Soon after I had thought that, the door swung open.

_Oh yeah, Liz is here._

I smiled- well I tried to, but it was hard for a wolf to grin. I hopped out of the truck, stretching. I then ran to the lab.

As soon as I entered, I caught her scent. Chloe. I ran through the hallways, my instincts taking over as I looked for her.

More than once, I came across a door, but Liz opened them for me. Chloe's scent became stronger, much stronger, and soon enough I saw her, but something was wrong.

Chloe stood still, the scent of fear coming from her skin. I looked around. I saw Fellows, and then Diane Enright. Diane was holding something. When I looked closer, I realized it was a gun. A gun that she was pointing towards Chloe!

The Witch said something, but the blood was pounding in my ears so hard I couldn't hear. My wolf instincts took over, and I pounced on Diane. I then picked her up and started shaking her and hitting her against the wall. After a few seconds, she was out cold.

I looked up, scared of Chloe being terrified, but she was already running towards me.

"Chloe, no!" Dr. Fellows cried.

"It's Derek," Chloe replied, still coming towards me.

"I know, don't-"

But my mate had already thrown her arms around my neck, burying her face in my fur. My muscles immediately relaxed, and I tried to nuzzle her, but she whispered, "You're okay! I was so worried," and started to pull away. That's when I smelled it. Blood. I leaned on Chloe so she wouldn't get up, and sniffed around until I found it. It was on the back of her neck.

_"Chloe, what happened? Are you okay?"_ I said to her, but it came out as a grunting sound.

"Don't worry. It's just a bump. I'm fine," Chloe said, and stood up. She looked over my shoulder and whispered "Thank you," to Liz, I guess.

We started walking, with me in the lead. I had to find the others. I heard Dr. Fellows and Chloe talking as we walked.

"I'm fine, Aunt Lauren," my mate was saying.

"You are. You really are," Lauren replied.

Then the two were silent.

We found Tori and Simon, and Chloe explained about why I was there, and why I was a big, black wolf. Then we set off.

Once we were out of the main hall, Lauren took us to the place where I was raised- to my horror. I tried to get out of there as fast as possible, but we heard footsteps and had to hide in the barracks.

I laid on my side, and Chloe leaned against me, slowly starting to relax. When she did, so did I. Until I started to twitch, Changing back. Chloe looked at me, alarm and fear in her eyes. I growled.

_"Listen to your aunt, Chloe."_

After a few seconds, Chloe started to explain a plan she had come up with, but I convulsed, throwing her off of me. Tori said something about me always finding a way to argue, even as a wolf. I convulsed again, this time falling flat on my stomach.

Chloe said something about giving me space, then started to leave. I caught her pant leg, begging her to stay with me. She told everyone she was, and if anything happened, they needed to run, and we'd catch up.

Dr. Fellows stayed after everyone else left, and said, "Chloe, if anything happens, you're coming with us. Derek can look after himself."

I felt that fear again, that I might lose my mate.

"No, he can't. He needs me." Chloe's response shocked me. I looked up at her.

_She has no idea how much you need her._ _Shut up, damn wolf._

"I don't care."

"I do. He needs me. So I stay."

_'He needs me. So I stay.' For how long do you want to stay, baby? How about forever? Or maybe just tonight, so we can have some fun!_ _Oh my god, shut the hell up, you stupid wolf!_

Lauren Fellows left, leaving just me and Chloe.

My mate reached out and started rubbing my back as I Changed. It was a lot easier, let me tell you. And now I know why. Chloe was there, with me, and her touch eased my pain.

_You have it bad, Derek._

_Oh, shush._

When I was done Changing, I was exhausted, partly because Changing was hard, partly because I was busy fighting all of my wolf instincts that were telling me to... Well, let's just say that they were telling me to do something really bad.

Anyway, when I was done, I smiled at Chloe and grasped her hand. She entwined her fingers with mine and used her free hand to brush some of my hair out of my face.

"Whoa," Simon said as he walked in. "You'd better get dressed before you start that."

"We weren't starting anything," I said, freaked out. Simon had caught us red-handed! _Oh, shit. He'll never forgive me._

"Have you still got my note?" my brother asked Chloe.

She nodded.

"Give it to him," he said

_Note? What note? Have the two of them been hiding something?_

My mate took a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to me. I opened it warily, terrified of what I might find. It was a picture, drawn by Simon. It was Chloe, with her arms around a big, black wolf with piercing green eyes. Me. I looked happy.

I looked up. _What does it mean?_ Simon handed me some clothes, and Chloe turned for some reason.

_Why would they give me clothes?_ I thought, looking down. _Great god! I'm naked!_

_Good, so why don't you get little Chloe, there and-_

I shook my head, and called Simon back. I grunted with effort as I stood.

"What's up with the note?" I asked him.

"Don't you get it, bro?" Simon asked, smiling. "She's yours."

"What?"

"You can have her, Derek. You two love each other. You and Chloe make a cute couple. Good luck."

I smiled. "Really?"

"Really."

"Thanks, Simon."

He nodded and left me to dress. I overheard him telling Tori to stay out of the room.

I quickly dressed, and walked over to where Chloe was standing. I reached out and touched her waist tentatively. She turned around, and I thought it was going to happen, but when our lips were just about to touch, Tori walked in.

"What the...?"

Simon walked in, snapping at Tori. I sighed. I'll make out with her later, when we're safe.

"Derek, can I talk to you for a moment?" Dr. Fellows called to me. I glanced at Chloe.

"It'll only be a second. Please?"

I followed Dr. Fellows to a corner, far away from Chloe.

_This is it, you're screwed. She'll tell you to stay away from her niece._

I braced myself.

"Derek," she began. "I know how you and Chloe feel about each other. Which is why I trust you to do this for me."

My eyes widened. "What do you need me to do?"

Lauren sighed. "I'm going to hang out at the back of the crowd when we try to escape. I'll act as a decoy, pretending I lost Chloe, and wander off, calling her name. That'll give you guys a chance to escape." She looked at me. "When I do this, Chloe won't like it, as you can guess. I need you to make sure she doesn't say anything, and I need you to get her out of here."

"No," I growled, shaking my head. "It's suicide! I can't let you do that. Chloe would never forgive you."

_She'll never forgive me, either,_ I thought to myself bitterly.

"I know."

"Then don't do this!"

"Derek, if you don't do this for me, Chloe might die!"

I stopped arguing and nodded. Lauren gripped my arm and whispered, "Derek, please. Do it for Chloe."

"Okay. I'll do it for Chloe."

Dr. Fellows smiled and let me go. As I turned to leave, she said, "Go easy on my niece, Derek. She's only fifteen. Don't do anything too sudden. Play it safe. Oh, and, Derek," I turned to see her staring at me, her eyes sorrowful. "I'm sorry about when you were a kid, and you had to stay in the lab. When the others attacked that nurse, I thought you were going to be like them. That's why I told Chloe you should be put down like a rabid dog. But you're not like them."

I looked at her. "How do you know I'm not like that? Or will become like them? I broke a kid's back, for crying out loud!"

"You were protecting someone you care about. That's why I trust you with Chloe." I looked up in shock. She continued. "However, if you break her heart, I'll break your legs. And remember, she's only fifteen, so don't try anything."

My face heated, and she chuckled. "Go," she whispered. "She's waiting."

As I walked away, I heard Dr. Fellows murmur to herself, "Yup, Chloe's in good hands."

For once, even though we were still trapped in the laboratory, I felt really good.

I had a mate. A beautiful one at that, with piercing blue eyes and a smile that made the whole world stop and stare.

I felt like I was floating, walking back to her, reassuring her, and squeezing her hand.

Yup, it happened. She'd done it. I had no idea how she managed to pull through, but she did.

Chloe Saunders had made me, Derek Souza, the ominous, dark, moody werewolf, fall head-over-heels in love with her without even trying.

The End

**Okay, sorry if that was OOC. Or if the ending was bad. I just needed to stop it, so I left off here. It's my first fanfic, so critique would be great! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Author's Note PLEASE READ!

Hey, guys! I am so happy for all of the reviews! Thank you so much for reading!

Okay, so somebody asked me to continue this story, but I am a very stubborn woman. My intent was for this to be a one-shot, so it will stay a one-shot.

I will, however, write different scenes from the trilogy in Derek's POV, but I need ideas. Please review and tell me which scenes you want me to write, and I will try to get them posted as soon as possible.

Thanks!

-Jess


	3. Another Author's Note: PLEASE READ!

Hi. I need an idea for a story I'm gonna do. It's either gonna be after TR, or a re-write of the Darkest Powers series. I might do after TA, but you never know with me.

Anyway, I need an idea. You can give me as many ideas as you want, and it can be either a novel thing or a one-shot. (Two, three, and four-shots are also okay.)

So please, please, PLEASE give me an idea!

By the way, I don't think I'll do any more moments from D's POV unless you give me a really good idea. I don't have any of the books, and I don't know when I'll be able to get them. I don't think I will, considering my mom thinks I'm obsessed with Darkest Powers (honestly, who isn't?).

Please review!

-WiccaChick98


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